1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, multimedia terminals for providing various types of services have been developed, and are disposed at shops such as a convenience store or the like, in yards of stations or the like. The multimedia terminal are connected to various types of service provider companies, banks or the like through networks, and provide various types of services such as a shopping service for selling travel tickets or the like, an ATM (automated teller machine) (a machine for automatically depositing and drawing money) service, a game, a fortune-telling or the like.
Some of the multimedia terminals comprise various types of storage media slots such as a compact flush (registered trademark) card slot, a smart media slot or the like, or scanners, and provide services for reading digital image of photographs taken by users or the like out of various types of storage media by the storage media slots, scanning image data of photographs, pictures or the like by the scanners, or printing the image data. When printing the image data, the multimedia terminals can edit the image data and produce calendars, or print the image data with frames.
Further, some of the multimedia terminals prepare connection cables to which communication portable terminals such as a portable telephone or the like are connected, and provide contents for portable telephones which download arrival melodies, waiting screens or the like from the multimedia terminals.
Further, some of the multimedia terminals comprise MD (Mini Disc) slots and provide download services of music data. According to the services, the multimedia terminals connected to record companies through networks, and downloads music data desired by users to MDs. When downloading the music data, the multimedia terminals can display music indexes, artist information, video clips or the like on displays, and make users listen one part of music.
However, because data which users can download according to the download services of music data are limited to the music data, the users can not obtain not only the music data but also related information such as song words, music sheets, artist information or the like. Even if the users can obtain the related information at the same time of downloading the music data, because the music data are distributed from record companies having sales licenses of the music data respectively, the users can not obtain the latest information after the music data are sold as CDs or MDs or detailed related information concerning the music data. Further, because music sheet information is publication information, the users can not obtain it easily with publishing licenses (copyrights of writings) of publishing companies.
In addition, recently, a service called a POD (Print On Demand) or a BOD (Book On Demand) has been popularized. The POD/BOD service is, for example, a publishing service for managing publication data which are electronic data of published articles of magazines, novels or the like as a data base, printing/binding desired copies according to demand for users, and providing the copies for the users.
That is, because the POD/BOD service is a method for printing/binding and providing the copies even when the user demands, the POD/BOD service can provide the copies for the user who demands them certainly. Further, because the POD/BOD service is not required to keep a stock of printed/bound products, it is possible to reduce costs caused by inventory management or return operations. In view of above-described advantage, the POD/BOD is proper to provide a small number of copies of publications.
However, the POD/BOD service is usually provided by the publishing company holding the copyright of the publication. That is, the user accepts the BOD service of the publication from the publishing company holding the copyright of the publication, for every publishing company. Therefore, for example, it is impossible to arrange articles published in magazines published from different publishing companies respectively, and obtain one publication.
Usually, in case image forming apparatuses including the above-described multimedia terminals are disposed at shops to provide the above-described services for general users, and profit from the services, the following method has been generalized as a method for collecting use charges. That is, an accounting apparatus comprising a coin insertion slot or a coin container is connected to the image forming apparatus, and permits the user to use the image forming apparatus according to the mount corresponding to coins inserted in the coin insertion slot.
The method for collecting use charges by the accounting apparatus has an advantage that the user can use the image forming apparatus to print only one copy easily. However, the method has a disadvantage that the user is required to prepare coins ever when using the image forming apparatus and has trouble. Further, the provider of the service is required to carry out regular work such as collection of inserted coins, maintenance of the accounting apparatus or the like. Therefore, enterprises owning a plurality of image forming apparatuses have troublesome matters.
In order to get rid of the trouble, a method for collecting use charges on a prepaid card has been popularized. The prepaid card is a magnetic card storing information on usable balance, and the user buys the prepaid card previously. Therefore, when the user uses the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus collects use charges by taking the amount corresponding to use of the user off the usable balance of the prepaid card.
Further, for example, concerning the image forming apparatus disposed in an office, a university or the like, a method fro collecting use charges on a user card (user identification card) is adopted to the image forming apparatus. The user card is a magnetic card storing identification information (a name, belonging division or the like) on the user, and the user takes the user card with him. Therefore, when the user uses the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus makes a reading apparatus attached thereto read contents stored in the user card, certifies the user and collects use charges in on lump later.
As described above, the methods for collecting use charges on above-described two types of cards can get rid of the trouble. However, because the user is required to take an exclusive card to use the image forming apparatus, the user has trouble with the card.